Self-aligning seat construction



July 16, 1957 J. A. BERG 2,799,323

sELF-ALIGNING SEAT CONSTRUCTION Filed May 18, 1954 FIG.3.

Y INVENTOR FlG. 6. JOSEPH A. BERG ATfCRNEYS 2,799,323 SELF-ALIGNING SEATCONSTRUCTION Joseph A. Berg, Arcadia, Calif. Application May 1s, 1954,serial No. 4so,4'/4

4 claims. (cl. 15s-77) This invention has to do generally with seatconstructions.

Conventional seats, chairs and the like are basically not adapted tocompensate for a persons various movements and positions. While paddedchairs and spring seats may yield to some extent, and while `attemptshave been made to provide posture chairs, none of these very closelyapproaches the ideal of a seat which readily accommodates for thevarious positions Iand movements of the occupant and aligns itself withthe body. Consequently, considerable strain is placed upon the muscles,bones, Iand various other parts of the body, and circulation is oftenimpaired where a person `occupies 'any of the types of seats heretoforedevised. For example, it is common for a person to have the circulationimpaired in one vor both legs unless they are carefully placed due topressure of the thighs of the legs against the chair seat edge. It is aparticular `object of the invention to provide a seat construction whichovercomes these disadvantages of conventional chairs and seats and thoseof -so-called posture chairs.

An object of the invention is to provide a comfortable seat constructionwhich readily responds to or accommodates itself to the position of thebody of the person occupying it. In this connection it is an object toprovide a seat which is self-aligning and which is so constructed thatit lallows each side of the body of the occupant of the seat to movenormally `and independently of the other and without restraint.

Another object is to provide Such a seat construction in which a personcan assume various positions, such `as sitting with the legs crossed orwith one of'them outstretched, for example, without causing impairmentof the circulation or causing undue strain upon any part of the body.

It is `also an object to provide a simple seat construction which can bereadily manufactured.

These and other objects will be -apparent from the drawing and thefollowing description.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a chair embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the seat embodied in the construction of thechair in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4 4 of Fig. 2 on the same scale asFig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary `sectional plan view on line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a sectional View on line 6-6 of Fig. 2 on the same scale asFigs. 3 and 4; and

Fig. 7 is la fragmentary sectional view showing a modication.

More particularly describing the invention, I lshow in Fig. l a chairhaving a leg structure 11, a seat structure 12 which embodies theinvention and a ba-ck rest means 13. The -fseat construction 12comprises a `base plate 15 United States Patent O .ICC

which is mounted upon the leg structure 11 in any suitable manner.Supported upon the base plate is what will be termed -a divided seat,generally indicated by numeral 16 and including the complementary seatelements 17R and `17L which are similar, being right and left and beinglaterally spaced. The lseat members or halves are mounted in such Iamanner that they can individually tilt universally independently -of theother. The general level of the -seat halves remains the same during thetilting. Means are provided for resiliently holding the seat members inthe normal or substantially level position in which they are shown.

The seat elements 17R and 17L are mounted identically and a descriptionof one will suiiic'e. Referring to 'member 17L, this is mounted on a rod20 which extends longitudinally orvvfrom front to rear of the seatmember. In the form of the invention shown, suitable brackets 21 and 22on the under side of the seat member pivotally receive the ends of therod. The rod 20 is supported on a relatively short cross rod-24 spacedabove thebase 1'5 and journaled in the pedestals 27 mounted on the base.The rods 20 and 24 are rigidly connected by means of a fitting 28;however, any suitable connection may be provided.

With the construction described, it will be apparent that the seatmember 17L may be universally tilted due to the universal mountingthereof on the base by the rod means described. Although I havedescribed the brackets 22 as being rotatable with respect to rod 20 andhave described rod 24 as rotatable in the pedestals 27, this isnotessential, since the relative rotation could be provided of the rodswithin the fitting 28 and the other parts made rigid. Also, it will beapparent that, in essence, a universal joint connection is providedbetween each seat element and the base and thus various universal jointconnections might be used in place of the `one shown and described.

In order to yieldably hold the seat halves in normal position, l providecoil springs 31, the springs extending between the base 15 and each`seat half. They are Preferably arranged so that when viewed in planthey form a rectangle for each seat half as best shown in Fig. 2, beingspaced about the intersection of the two pivotal axes of the seat half.Any suitable means may be pro vided for mounting` the end-sof the coilsprings and securing them to the base. The upper ends may be left free.When the seats are normally disposed the coil springs should be slightlycompressed. I prefer to provide for adjusting one set of springs foreach seat member, and to accomplish this, I have shown each set offorward springs mounted on a saddle plate 33, the edges of which arereceived in tracks 34 provided by the members 35 of stepped crosssection attached to the base. Means for adjusting the position of theplate 33 is provided in the form of yadjustment screw 36 mounted inbracket 37 and received ina threaded opening in a lug 38 which projectsupwardly from the plate 33, the screw being rotatable in and heldagainst movement axially by any suitable means in the bracket 37.

When the seat construction is assembled in a ch-air or the like a pad orcover member 45 is provided to overlie the two halves ofthe yseat so asto provide an uninterrupted upper surface for a person sitting. Thesides of the construction may be enclosed by suitable fabric dependingfrom the pad or cover 45, `such as the side wall enclosing member 46.

It will be apparent that when a person sits on the seat constructiondescribed, each seat element adjusts individually to the occupants bodyallowing the occupant to assume a desired position without placingstrain upon any part of the body.

Although I have illustrated and above described a preblocks orsupports'of rubber or' the like' in place of "the springs. :The'bl'o'ckswould bedispo'sed 'in the same positionsV as 'the springs. One suchbl'o'ck, .indicated"by"50, is shown in Fig. 7 whereSlind'icatesfthe'ba'se'and'52 a seat element. 'The block may be'ibonded'to afmount- 'ing plate 53 which in .turn is"secured to the 'base' in'anysuitable manner.

The springs or blocks should'be 'rm enougntoresist but not to preventtilting movement of' the seat' elements under the influence ofanoccup'antof Vthe seat.

` I' claim:

1. .In a seat construction, a base, a pair of complementary seatelements disposed side by side in laterallyspaced 'relation above thebase,`means'b'etweenthe base'and each seat element mounting the seatelement 'forindividual universal tilting' movement,` and Vresilientlmeans interposed between each said seat element and said base yieldablyresisting tilting movement of said seat element.

2. In a seat construction, a base, a pair'of complementary seat elementsdisposed side by side in laterally spaced 'relation above the base,means Vbetween the kbase and i each seat element mounting the seatelement for individual,'universal tilting movement, and springsmountedbetween each of said seat elements and said base yieldablyresisting tilting movement of the seat element.

3. A seat construction as defined in claim 2 in which said springs arecoil springs and in which there are four springs for each seat element.

4, In a seat construction, a base, a pair of complementary `seatelements disposed side by side in laterally spaced relation above thebase, a universal joint-type connection between each seat elementandsaid base, and spring means disposed between each seat element and saidbase resisting tilting movement of the' se'atelement, said spring meansresisting downward'movement of the seat element at four points spacedabout the intersection of the axes of said connection.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

